Current News

Vermont Business Magazine - by Jeffrey R Wakefield  It’s the height of irony. Irrigation systems designed to buffer farmers from the effects of a warming planet may be causing them to think their local area is cooler and wetter than it is, says research published June 1 in the journal Global Environmental Change -- perceptions that other studies suggest may slow their efforts to address climate change.

The paper is the first to show the impact of infrastructure on climate perception, said principal investigator Meredith Niles of the University of Vermont         

The research compares the climate record since 1980 of two wine producing regions in New Zealand, Marlborough and Hawke's Bay, with resident farmers' perceptions of climate change. Both areas rely heavily on irrigation for growing grapes and other crops.

by Joyce Marcel Vermont Business Magazine Unless you’re Abenaki, everyone in Vermont is an immigrant. So it doesn’t seem too far-fetched, given a shrinking population, a significant amount of empty housing stock and an expanding job market, that immigration might look like a smart way for a city to go. Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras certainly thinks so. After a great deal of soul-searching and study, the city under his leadership is planning to accept 100 Syrian refugees beginning in October of this year. This decision has made national news. 

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims fell dramatically last week to under 500 for the first time in nearly three months. Still, claims are running a bit higher versus a year ago. For the week of May 28, 2016, there were 490 claims, down 287 from the previous week's total and 46 more than they were a year ago. By industry, claims were down for Services, but about tripled for Manufacturing. 

Vermont Business Magazine The first graduating class of Castleton University passed across the stage at its 229th Commencement ceremony on May 7, bringing to close the 2015-16 academic year. Captain Richard Phillips addressed the more than 3,500 guests in attendance and thousands more streaming the ceremony live online. Phillips spoke of unwavering personal strength, focus and determination, and the importance of living every moment to the fullest. With 533 graduates, this marks the largest class in Castleton's storied history.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin today at the new I-89 interchange in Waterbury signed the FY 2017 Transportation Bill, which approves $612,574,418 in infrastructure improvements and maintenance of the state’s highways, bridges, rail lines, and airports. It also provides capital and operating support for public transit systems and other programs critical to the safe and efficient movement of people and goods in Vermont. The bill includes new provisions for increased fines for trucks that get stuck in Smugglers’ Notch, increased use of ignition interlock systems for repeat DUI offenders and an overhaul of the trespassing regulations to improve safety on Vermont’s rail lines.

Vermont Business Magazine Brattleboro’s newly formed Parks and Plazas, Inc introduced the final stage of the Brooks House's $24 million redevelopment project to a community crowd of over 200 Wednesday. Bob Stevens (Stevens Associates and the Brooks House Development Project) told the crowd that Brattleboro is a great downtown, but it is fragile — it's suffered from fire and Irene flooding, from old tired buildings, and from on-line stores and big boxes. From the very beginning of the Brooks House Project, the Brooks House team believed the land outside the back entrance to the Brooks House and currently occupied by Frankie’s Pizza, could support downtown vitality.

Vermont Business Magazine Southern Vermont College Director of Athletics Michael McDonough announced on June 1 the naming of Ashley Hodges as the new Assistant Director of Athletics for SVC, as the Bennington college was one of 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III members to be awarded with the Association’s diversity grants for the 2016-17 academic year. Hodges has been the head athletic trainer for Southern Vermont athletics since the fall of 2009, and she assumed the Senior Woman Administrator role in the fall of 2010. She has been a part of numerous committees both at the College and at the NCAA level, including serving on SVC’s recent presidential search advisory committee which resulted in the hire of David Rees Evans, PhD, as the College’s ninth president. She also chaired the College’s search for its new Vice President and Dean of Admissions which landed Daniel Summers II in the position back in November.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin has issued an executive order to allow Vermonters to continue to display the Vermont Strong license plate. The exemption allowing Vermonters to display the plate on the front of their vehicle was slated to expire June 30, 2016. The executive order will remain in effect until a new governor rescinds it or the Legislature revisits the issue. "These plates remind us of how our state pulled together in the wake of Irene to rebuild stronger than the storm found us," Shumlin said. "The plate has become a symbol of pride for many Vermonters, myself included, and I want ensure people can continue to display them."

The full text of the order is copied below.

STATE OF VERMONT

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 04-16

[Vermont Strong License Plates]  

by Mike Faher/The Commons Vermont Yankee’s property value has plummeted by almost 70 percent, according to a tax deal that has been approved by the Vernon Selectboard and the state. The six-year tax-stabilization contract sets the shut-down nuclear plant’s value at $78 million, down from a $250 million valuation that had been in effect. The change affects the town and state differently, but the end result will be the same — a loss of millions of dollars in Vermont Yankee tax revenue over the life of the agreement. But officials also say the deal contains some positives for Vernon, including a substantial annual payment in lieu of taxes to cushion the blow of lost taxes. That means Vermont Yankee owner Entergy will be paying much more than required, said Patty O’Donnell, a Vernon official who was involved in negotiations with Entergy.

by Mike Faher/The Commons State officials say they’ve found a way to force Entergy to continue to pay for Vermont Yankee’s 10-mile emergency zone. In a surprise announcement May 26, Public Service Department Commissioner Chris Recchia said the state has new statutory authority to “bill back” Entergy for emergency planning activities in towns around the Vernon nuclear plant. Recchia expects the state also will be billing the plant’s owner for other Vermont Yankee–related work such as groundwater testing and nonradiological waste monitoring. All told, he said, the bills might come to $900,000 annually.

Federal regulators allowed Vermont Yankee’s 10-mile emergency zone to disappear in April, and Entergy’s mandatory financial support for related state programs is set to end June 30.

Vermont Business Magazine GW Plastics has been selected as Plastics News’ “Sustained Excellence” award winner for 2015. This prestigious award honoring continued excellence in well-rounded plastic processing companies was announced at the Plastics News’ Executive Forum in Naples, FL. The award is given only to past Processor of the Year winners -- which Plastics News awarded to GW Plastics in 2009 – and is given to the company that has best sustained their level of excellence year after year. GW Plastics was judged on a number of continuous improvement categories, including financial excellence and proof the company has been profitable every year since winning Processor of the Year. The company was also judged on extraordinary new developments that have been instrumental to the company‟s success.

by Mike Faher/The Commons At a May 19 nuclear power summit in Washington, DC, top-ranking federal officials and industry executives focused on market forces and government regulation. But Patty O’Donnell made sure the audience also heard about declining property values, underfunded nonprofits, and lost friends — all in the context of Vermont Yankee’s December 2014 shutdown. Her message was clear: If the pace of nuclear shutdowns accelerates, many other communities can expect to experience the problems that are plaguing Vernon and the surrounding tri-state area.